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As part of his big day on Thursday, Mitch Keller learned that for a second consecutive season he will be the Opening Day starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates
As the anticipation for the upcoming Major League Baseball season builds, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made a significant decision by naming All-Star right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller as their Opening Day starter against the Miami Marlins. The announcement comes just a few hours after Keller signed his extension with the Pirates for 5 years, $77 million on Thursday.
Just two hours after the news broke about the extension of Mitch Keller, Pirates Twitter shared a video announcing that he will be making his second Opening Day start for Pittsburgh. You can see the video below.
The second Opening Day start in a row for Mitch. 🥲 pic.twitter.com/DcouQh1pwv
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 22, 2024
It's safe to say that Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 is a day taht Keller will never forget.
Keller will be making his second career Opening Day start for the Pirates as they prepare for their matchup against Miami. Last season when Keller made his Opening Day start against the Cincinnati Reds, he was only able to finish 4.2 innings while allowing four runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
Keller is coming off the best season of his career, which included an All-Star appearance, 194 innings pitched, and becoming the first Pirate righty to strike out 200 batters in a season. It only makes sense for manager Derek Shelton to name him the Opening Day starter once again.
Keller has proven once again that he is one of the hardest working guys on the staff, as a few years ago it seemed improbable for him to make the rotation; with a 6.17 ERA in 23 games in 2021, Mitch Keller has turned into a very reliable starter and has the potential to be the ace down the line for Pittsburgh.